This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Opposed piston engines include two pistons housed within a single cylinder that move in an opposed, reciprocal manner within the cylinder. In this regard, during one stage of operation, the two pistons are moving away from one another within the cylinder. During another stage of operation, the two pistons are moving towards one another within the cylinder.
Nozzles or injection ports can be used to inject a fuel into the cylinder. As the pistons move towards one another within the cylinder, they compress and, thus, cause the ignition of a fuel injected into the cylinder by the nozzle. In some configurations, each cylinder can include more than one fuel nozzle. In addition, each opposed piston engine can include more than one cylinder. In such configurations, the arrangement of the fuel nozzles and the cylinders can add to the overall size, weight, and complexity of the opposed piston engine.
While known opposed-piston engines have generally proven to be acceptable for their intended purposes, a continued need in the relevant art remains for an opposed piston engine having improved combustion performance, including efficient air utilization and fuel mixing, and a reduced size, weight, and complexity.